Follow the Money

Dan Kennedy has a great post wondering why journalists won't follow the money when it comes to checking up on industry-funded interest groups. In general, "follow the money" arguments aren't always quite as conclusive as many writers seem to think they area given politician, for instance, might be receiving industry money because he or she genuinely believes in X pro-industry position, rather than the reversebut when a newspaper quotes some group as praising Wal-Mart, and that group happens to be funded by a financial arm of Wal-Mart, um, that seems rather important to note.